How Tottenham Hotspur could do with Harry Kane, eh? How every club in world football could do with Kane.
The England captain is now a Ballon d’Or winner. He is officially the best player in the world and there is no denying that.
While he thrives at Bayern Munich, Spurs lust after a player with similar qualities. It took them five games to score their first Premier League goal of the season and they continue to labour in the final third.
Against Crystal Palace, it took goals from two defenders to seal the points. Against Leeds, they failed to find the net at all. It begs the question: how can the Lilywhites improve in the final third?
Where is Tottenham’s next Kane?
Replacing Kane was never going to be easy. In fact, it was an impossible task.
The legendary striker is the top scorer in Spurs history, so is it really any surprise that every manager since he departed has struggled? Ange Postecoglou was the first to experience a Kane-less Tottenham and while he did win the Europa League, on the domestic front things did not go well.
That was the same story for Thomas Frank and for Igor Tudor. Under Roberto De Zerbi, matters have improved, but they still lack that out-and-out goalscorer.
Dominic Solanke has been the chief striker since Kane’s exit and while he did net 16 goals during his first season in north London, 2025/26 proved to be rather more inconsistent and certainly more injury-hit. The former Bournemouth attacker scored just six times as a result.
So, last term, the much-maligned Richarlison became an important figurehead. He actually finished that relegation-threatened season as their top scorer on 11 goals in all competitions.
Alas, De Zerbi does not fancy him and the Brazilian was remarkably excluded from their Premier League squad at the end of the summer. He has only played for the U21s since then.
So, you can strike off Richarlison and Solanke as the next Kane. How about Omar Marmoush? He scored a lovely goal against Coventry City a few weeks ago but his performance at Elland Road last weekend left plenty to be desired. He completed just six passes in the whole game.
|
Marmoush vs Leeds |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
65 |
|
Touches |
20 |
|
Accurate passes |
6/6 |
|
xG |
0.16 |
|
Shots |
2 |
|
Shots on target |
1 |
|
Duels won |
4/9 |
|
Distance covered |
7.5km |
That’s another name to cross off in their pursuit of goals.
Perhaps De Zerbi may need to look towards the youth. Luca Williams-Barnett has made an almighty impression in the senior side over the last week and looks as good a talent as the academy has produced since Kane walked through the halls of Hotspur Way.
The 18-year-old has only played a smattering of minutes to date but they must start handing him more regular opportunities. After all, there is a cautionary tale with their “Harry Kane regen.”
A ‘Kane regen’ has already left Spurs behind
In the last three years, three first-rate strikers have left Tottenham in search of pastures new.
We all know Kane’s story, while the tale of Troy Parrott is a familiar one too. The Irishman was hotly tipped for a while but was fed up with a back-up role. He moved to the Netherlands, where he thrived, scoring 51 times in 97 matches for AZ Alkmaar. He’s now at Real Betis in Spain.
Another to thrive after seeking refuge elsewhere is Will Lankshear. He’s the talk of the town and Kane aside, will no doubt be the biggest source of regret at Spurs.
Over the summer, the Lilywhites went big in their pursuit of new recruits. De Zerbi and his recruitment team sought fit to spend over £300m. In attack, Savio, Omar Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk all arrived.
Lankshear was one of the casualties, heading to Middlesbrough in a deal worth £10m.
Since moving to Boro, the 21-year-old has been a revelation, netting 13 goals in 13 second-tier matches. He is the top scorer in the Championship but his form has not stopped there.
In all competitions, the young attacker has found the net on 15 occasions in 16 matches. He’s one of the most in-form players in the country and if it were not for an injury, an England call-up may well have beckoned.
That was the word on the street as Thomas Tuchel announced his latest Three Lions squad last Friday.
That would have been a fine reward. Indeed, while Spurs flounder, Lankshear thrives. Previously described as a “Harry Kane regen” by one scout, he’s now genuinely in the running to become next in line to replace the great striker when he hangs up his boots at international level.
While talk of an England call-up dominates the news, talk of a return to Tottenham has also been discussed. However, is that a possibility? Well, it seems far-fetched.
In the terms of that £10m sale to the Riverside, it does not involve a buy-back clause. What it does contain, though, is a ‘matching rights on future bids’ clause.
What does that mean? Well, Spurs will have to be notified and given the option to match the bid in the event that Middlesbrough accept an offer from another side in the future.
So, while Lankshear could return to Spurs courtesy of that clause, it does feel like this ship has sailed now. In De Zerbi’s quest to source more goals, he will have to look away from the Boro star, just as he did in the summer. He’s made his bed; now he must lie in it.
